Starr, Ellen - Wolf's Passion [The Joined] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (23 page)

He stopped and turned his frown on her. Only one other time had he looked at her like he did now. “Why are you sorry? You did not know any of this would happen, did you?”

She shook her head.

“Then there is nothing to be sorry for. It has simply happened and we will deal with it as best we can.”

He came to stand in front of her, brushing his hand over her hair. Cora wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his stomach, looking at their image in the dresser mirror. “I love them. I can’t seem to keep from it.” She looked up at him. “I love you.”

Jean-Paul’s expression softened. “I have never loved anyone as much as I love you.”

He bent and kissed the top of her head. Jean-Paul straightened. He lifted his wrist and opened his mouth. Light glinted off his extended fangs. Movement in the doorway pulled her gaze from Jean-Paul. She tightened her hold on him. Wolf stood there, eyes wide with shock.

“Yes,
mon amour
, I know he is there. He needs to see this.” Jean-Paul bit. Blood welled up, and he extended his arm to her. She sipped then kissed the small wound that was already closing, taking the life Jean-Paul offered her.

Jean-Paul turned his head to look at the stunned Werewolf. “You see. It is necessary.”

Wolf nodded even as he backed away from the sight of her taking blood from Jean-Paul. From his expression Cora could tell he needed to find somewhere quiet to think this through. When he came upstairs he obviously hadn’t meant to interrupt something so private. “It's all right. I have nothing to hide from you.” She sent her thought to him in a whisper.

Cora held out her hand. Jean-Paul simply watched him. “No—” He slapped his hand over his mouth and shook his head, holding his other hand out as if he could fend them off.

“Wolf,” Cora stood and took a step toward him.

“I need to… I can’t…” Wolf turned and ran down the stairs.

When he burst into the kitchen, Rafe and Dale stood. He looked from one to the other then threw himself into their arms. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Do what?” Rafe sounded confused.

“Share Cora with Jean-Paul. His hold is too strong. We don’t stand a chance of breaking it.” He let them lead him to a chair. When they were seated again beside him, he told them about seeing Cora take Jean-Paul’s blood.

Dale nodded slowly. “I saw it in Old Town a few times. Vampires only do it with someone they care a lot about. They call it giving their life.”

Wolf looked at Dale for a long moment. The wistful expression on Dale’s face surprised him. Wolf shared a concerned glance with Rafe. They knew a lot of what Dale had been through in Old Town, but there were things he wouldn’t talk about. Things they only got glimpses of now and then, like this bit of Vampire information.

“He must love her more than anything to let you see them.” Dale bowed his head and stopped speaking. Dale’s words brought an entirely new meaning to the situation.

Wolf thought about Jean-Paul’s words.
Yeah, I did need to see
.
I’ve been such an idiot
. He stood and looked toward the stairs for a long moment. “I think I need to go fix this.” Wolf walked to the foot of the stairs and looked up. He could see the light from Cora’s room shining into the hall. He took one step and paused, then took another step, and another, each tread easier than the last

By the time he stood in the bedroom doorway once more he knew what he needed to do. Jean-Paul sat on the bed with Cora in his arms. He rocked her, whispering into her hair too low for Wolf to make out what he said to her. Jean-Paul must have sensed his presence because he looked up straight into Wolf’s eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m young and I’m stupid. I don’t know very much about anything at all. It doesn’t excuse my behavior, but maybe it explains it.” Wolf walked into the room and stopped in front of them.

Cora stood and pulled Wolf into her arms. He kissed her forehead. She tugged Jean-Paul to his feet. The Vampire pressed his lips together and swayed. Wolf caught his arm and steadied him before he could fall.

“Pardon.” Jean-Paul’s voice was low and breathy.

Cora made a soft sound of exasperation and glanced at Wolf. “You don’t have to stay and watch. I know this upsets you.”

Wolf shook his head. “I’ll stay.” Cora squeezed his hand then faced Jean-Paul. She brushed her hair back and tilted her head to one side, exposing her neck.

The Vampire made a sour face. “Cora, so inelegant.” But he lowered his mouth to the smooth curve of her neck.

Cora reached out, and Wolf caught her hand in his. He swallowed hard but said nothing. Sex and sharing their bodies, watching, giving and taking pleasure was one thing. This moment and what he’d witnessed earlier seemed more intimate. Giving their life was a good name for it, and it was far too important to treat it casually.

Wolf found himself too fascinated to look away. There wasn’t anything messy or crude about what Jean-Paul was doing. The only evidence Jean-Paul fed was the expression on Cora’s face. It was the way she looked when she came.

Jean-Paul stopped and licked the spot he’d bitten. Wolf could barely see any mark, just two tiny spots, like needle pricks. Jean-Paul sighed and shot Wolf a slightly embarrassed look. “I prefer the inner thigh.”

“Really.” Wolf raised his eyebrows.

“Would you like to find out for yourself,
cher
? I am still hungry.”

Cora squeezed Wolf’s hand. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Wolf gave her a faint smile. “I noticed that.”

Cora sighed and adjusted her lace robe. “I am going down to see about Rafe and Dale. Join us when you get everything sorted out.”

They watched her leave then Jean-Paul held out his hand. Wolf took the offered hand. Jean-Paul kissed him. Wolf could taste the metallic tang of blood. It send an odd thrill through him. “Cousins,
cher
,” Jean-Paul whispered against Wolf’s lips then bore him down onto the bed.

Jean-Paul took his time removing Wolf’s clothes then went into Cora’s bathroom. The towel he carried surprised Wolf. “Not that I mind, but why the towel? I thought you were just going to bite me.”

“Because you are already half hard,
cher
. When I bite, you will come, and I do not want to spend an hour washing your semen off the ceiling.” Jean-Paul wrapped his hand around Wolf’s cock and pulled gently. Wolf made a low sound in the back of his throat as his cock hardened and grew. He lay back.

Jean-Paul placed the towel over Wolf’s cock and brushed his fingers over Wolf’s thigh. Wolf watched him lean forward. Jean-Paul pressed his thumb into a spot just behind Wolf’s balls. His body jerked. Then he felt a slight sting and the world came apart at the seams. Wolf’s eyes rolled back in his head. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t moan. He was being pulled inside out through his cock, and he wanted it to never stop.

When the world came back, Jean-Paul had cleaned him up and sat beside him, leaning on the pillows propped up against the brass headboard, watching. “You are back. Good.”

Wolf tried to sit up. He couldn’t. “What did you do to me?”

“I took some blood. That is all.”

“Cora didn’t react like this.” Wolf yawned.

“She is used to this. You are not. The next time will not be so intense.” Jean-Paul patted Wolf’s shoulder. “Sleep now. I will watch over Cora and your Pack.” Wolf started to protest, but his eyes were closing, and then he was asleep.

* * * *

Dolores rolled in the dirt and debris of the abandoned mine shaft. She burned with fever and hatred. Her body grew clumsy. It was all that bitch’s fault. She groaned as another spasm wracked her body. The chills began on the second day. She shuddered, gasping for breath, the sound of her guttural moaning echoing in the blackness until with one last hacking gasp, all was quiet.

Chapter Thirty-Five:

Sealing the Bond

“All right, just exactly what is this Sealing thing I keep hearing about?” Cora stood in the living room, her hands on her hips, glaring at her lovers. They sat on the couch before her looking like schoolboys who had been caught doing something naughty. Jean-Paul sat in the chair nearby, clearly amused with the whole situation.

“It’s the ritual we do when the Pack takes a
chienne
.” Wolf smiled brightly. “We thought it would be a good idea to go ahead with it before something else happens. So I booked us for this afternoon.”

“I gathered that much. What I want to know is what is involved. What do I have to do?”

Wolf licked his lips nervously. “Um, we change to our true form and make love. Most
chiennes
wear something easy to take off—”

Jean-Paul chuckled. “He means wear something you don’t mind getting ripped to shreds,
mon amour
.”

“What?” Cora stared at them in shock.

“It’s not
that
bad. We would never hurt you, Cora, you know that.” Rafe gave both Jean-Paul and Wolf a dirty look.

Cora took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, frustrated. “Yes, I know that. What I don’t know is what you’re all trying to keep from me.”

“You had better tell her. Our Cora does not like surprises,
cher
.” Jean-Paul waved at Wolf.

“Nice of you to remember that.” Cora crossed her arms, waiting.

“Okay.” Wolf took a deep breath. He let it out. “Okay. We go to the council chamber. You wear something we don’t have to worry about ruining. We change to out true form. Then we take turns making love to you while the others hold you—”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Cora relaxed slightly. “But why the council chamber?”

“Because the council has to be there?” Wolf cringed.

Open-mouthed, her eyes wide with disbelief, Cora stared at them.

Jean-Paul gave an evil sounding chuckle. “Yes,
chérie
, you will have an audience.” He got up and came to her. She watched, speechless, as he drew a finger along the neckline of her tank top. “Think about it, Cora, fucking three Werewolves while the leaders of the community watch you do it.” She shivered at his low sensuous tone. “
Very hot, mon amour
.”

“Oh dear…” Dismayed, she went to a chair and sat down.

* * * *

Cora walked into the council chamber with Jean-Paul. Her stomach fluttered with nerves. “I’m scared.”

“There is nothing to be afraid of, my love.” Jean-Paul kissed her forehead.

“But in front of an audience…” The idea both terrified and excited her. She would take her Pack before the council. She would fuck them in their changed form, sealing their union.

“Hush. You will be beautiful.” Jean-Paul touched his lips to hers. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Jean-Paul—”

“I am here,
mon amour
. I will always be yours, whatever else happens.”

His words stilled her nerves. She took a deep breath then stepped into the pool of light in the middle of the darkened council room. Cora could hear small sounds around them. She felt the presence of the Werewolf council, but she couldn’t see them. Probably a good thing, she thought. Jean-Paul’s presence was a comfort at her back.

With growing confidence, she held her hand out toward her Pack. Their feelings for each other brought them together. Only a
chienne
to bind them was missing. Cora pushed her fears aside. She could do this for the three she loved. She looked into Wolf’s eyes and let her heart call them.

She watched him begin to turn. He couldn’t seem stop it. A low growl escaped his throat. Cora stood frozen, mere inches away, and waited for what he would do. Wolf reached out with fingers already clawed. His hand trembled as he drew one claw over the neckline of the plain shift she wore. Her chest heaved with her rapid breathing. The fear gripping her enhanced her arousal. He stepped closer, inhaling her scent. His claw snagged in the soft cloth. She went liquid inside. She wanted him to take her